Hi Barry. I know you don't give individual shipping dates, but is there any chance that you could give some general guidance to your patient backers; like "I've shipped 149 lights, I have 100 more to go and I'm doing 10 per day". Any info that would help sustain us would be much appreciated! Regards, John Rhodes

Its not possible to answer individual requests for shipping estimates.
The common answer to all inquiries is, I'm making and shipping lights steadily.
From Jester and Steve's comments, it seems like using USPS flat rate overcomes international shipping concerns to the UK and Europe.

I'm happy to see all the positive comments about the light.

My work days are commonly 12+ hours, 6-7 days a week. This is common for successful startup launchers. Time management is essential. I rarely get out on a bike ride for fun anymore.

I thank those of you that understand. For those who are more anxious, I hope you will get a big smile when your light arrives, and at that time accept my "thank you for your patience".

Thermal note:
Light is designed to let you be stopped at a traffic light while at brightest setting, without thermal dimming happening.
I designed the heatsink so that at the light's highest setting, if you move at at least at least 6mph/ 10kph, the airflow keeps the light cooled so that thermal dimming will not occur.
Specifically, the light's hottest external point will stay less than legal US temperature for hot coffee when on the highest setting, for minimum six minutes when standing still at 21C, 72F, ambient temperature. Typically 7 or 8 minutes. Then a thermal dimmer reduces brightness to setting 3. When internal temperature drops 5 degrees Celsius, light can be brought back up to full brightness.

I received my light in the UK yesterday. I'm very impressed with it and the brightness, even if it does get really hot on its brightest settings!
I had to chase up Barry for shipping updates but overall I'm pleased, even if it did take 2.5 years to finally arrive!

Still have not received my reward of : One Barry Beams bicycle and tactical beam, battery and charger, plus two spare batteries, and a huge thank you for your support. Let's you give more support than just the standard pledge amount.

Happy to post the several messages I sent (without reply!) over the last few years to the public forum, as it's not like I'm chasing you every month. Seriously Barry, you should be ashamed of yourself. And as for me being the "1%" .. I believe it's more likely that you're treating 99% of us with the undeserved contempt I've observed numerous times. I've seen some shocking projects fail (ie Radiate) but never a project owner who's so been so arrogant, self-important and downright rude. And by the way - the word "refund" isn't defamation - it's a reasonable request and was given to you as an option since you're losing money on each light you fulfil (so you say). Suggest you look up "defamation" on the web before you try to use it to attack a backer next time.

Mr. Hunter omits that he has sent numerous prior messages. To provide great service and support to the 99 percent, sometimes its necessary to omit the 1% who do not accept what you tell them no matter how many times you answer the same questions.
Consequently as a sole operator, I prioritize to serve my supporters as best as I can as a whole, while recognizing that those who become overly burdensome will need to be left behind. I know that 99% of you appreciate that.

Well, I'll leave it to both the "pro-Barry" and "con-Barry" camps to consider his response to my email:
Me:
Hi Barry, following up from my post in the kickstarted comments - any update on this? Also, if you'd prefer to give a refund instead of fulfilling the order, happy with that too.
Thanks, Steve

Barry:
As you know, I am making best efforts and am delivering is a prudent order. Kickstarter makes it clear that they are not a store, and you backed a project, not placed an order. I consider you public posting stating the word refund to be defamation, insinuating that I am defrauding you. Accounting, tax, and legal details leave me needing to fulfill the money despite a net loss on each Kickstarter light I send out.
Your Kickstarter defamation got you put to the bottom of the shipping list.
No answer I give people like you is ever good enough, you only want me to ship to you right away so I ignore individual requests because there isn't enough time to answer everyone and their more time wasting followups when they don't like the honest answer I gave first time.
If you post anything publicly defaming again then you are cancelled.
Now wait your turn like everyone else, while I spend my time in more productive ways.
I will not correspond with you again except to accept your apology for harassing me when I've made it quite clear in the past that I do not answer individual requests for shipping dates. Nor will I answer you again.
Barry

Me:
Barry, my request was reasonable and well within the guidelines provided by Kickstarter. It is also reasonable to expect a refund if you are not able to complete your project and your commitments to your backers - and note that this is also called out specifically as an obligation on you by Kickstarter when you create a project. I was simply given you the option to consider and would have been fine either way.

Your response here is rude, unprofessional, discourteous and quite simply completely ridiculous and over the top.

For your information, I'll be posting both my initial email and your reply publicly in the forum as well as forwarding to Kickstarter and you will obviously be keeping my $179 without providing anything in return, which is fine.

Barry, I've sent a few enquiries about shipping over the last six weeks to the howmaywehelpyou address with no reply. Can you please advise when my light will ship, or offer a refund if you'd prefer not to fulfil my order. Thanks, Steve

After reading Mr. Hazelwood's comment, I thought that he can't be taken seriously. After seeing that he posted it on April 1, April Fool's Day, I know that my assessment is correct.
I feel a brief statement about his accusation is appropriate to my backers.
A month ago I told him I needed to replace the main board.

Based on his troubleshooting checklist and public statements, and reinforced by the picture he posted showing a green charging status light while the light was on but not plugged into a charger,
The cause of his light's loss of ability to charge the battery, is installing the battery backwards, and then trying to charge the light, and trying to use the light with the charger plugged in.

I also gave him responses to that he is seeing battery voltages and charging voltages that are too low or too high. Yet he continued to use the same battery, and tried to charge and use that battery in his light after being advised that the charging chip was bad.

He bought and continues to use an underpowered charger that is not fully charging the battery, and may not be charging it at all, from a fully drained state.

He has failed to follow the service and repair instructions to obtain a no-fault repair or replacement.

Customer error is not a defect in materials or workmanship. Regardless, in almost all cases, and at my expense, I have been performing goodwill repairs at reduced or no cost, and expressed an added expression of my regret for the light not being fully satisfactory by giving an extra battery at no additional charge.

Mr Hazelwood has not returned his light as I instructed, and continues to use what is now a weakened battery, that gets weaker with each incomplete charge and complete draining that he gives it. He continues to use a substandard charger that outputs less than half my specified charging current, and very likely is not capable of charging the battery fully.

I sent him a detailed private reply to his message.

Based on my three decades of performing customer technical support in the computer industry, I view his claims as a disgruntled customer who wants me to jump him ahead of other backers and customers who call and write for support, damaged his product through possible careless misuse, then willfully failed to follow customer support instruction given him, and now wants a free replacement anyway.

To remove doubt, I will repair his light the same as I treat everyone else, giving him my best workmanship as I put into all my lights, if he returns it and pays the $95 no-fault repair or replacement fee.

I will correspond with him privately if he chooses to do so, however I will continue to act on customer service inquiries in the order I receive them.
Sincerely,
Barry

Confidentiality notice and warning:
"This communication is company private and confidential, intended for the private use of recipient only. Permission for redistribution or public disclosure of it's contents is expressly denied. Violation of this shall result in cancellation of recipient's order without refund."

After about two months of light usage and abysmal technical support, I’ve come to the conclusion that your light is an epic fail and you don’t care about your customers at all. Sure, you can blame the customer, me, and indicate I didn’t know how to operate a bicycle light (sure it’s possible though not feasible), but at the end of the day each time I use your light it is super nice and bright and I absolutely love it….for the ten minutes it works before flashing the red light of death. I had one ask, please resolve my battery longevity issues, but coming on two months I believe you might have diagnosed the issue but haven’t offered to resolve. I couldn’t possibly advocate your light to others, as having what I assume is hopefully a one off problem light is understandable, but your complete lack of customer support, your attacking responses, and my favorite line from your most recent email: “I've now responded to all inquiries ahead of your's and can take a few minutes to answer a customer who is not listening to what I say.” Which is rudely saying, you Mr. Customer mean absolutely nothing to me and while I’ll gladly take your money I will not stand behind my work.

I’m very lucky I have a NiteRider light that I use as backup, which can be charged and last weeks without use and remain charged (unlike your light which must be constantly plugged in or it will go dead quite quickly), and that it lasts for hours of use without a single problem. I do hope you step up and back up your warranty and that you improve your communications with your customers, but hey it’s your business and I’m sure you’re doing what you can to proudly stamp your name on your light.

There is no reflective insert now, instead the heatsink has a reflective coating that tests better in a spectrometer, aligns the beam better than the separate reflector, and eliminates the step of needing to install and align the reflector.

Any with a kit, please call me ASAP with an questions, or suggestions to improve the assembly, parts, or instructions.

I haven't read through the comments below yet since late last year as I'd rather just give the creators some space and not waste any of my own energy over miscommunication and online angst, bu anyways, as an update for other backers - I received my "put it together yourself" light yesterday in the mail. I had no idea it was on it's way, so that was a bit of a nice surprise.

I've looked through all the parts and everything seems to be present and accounted for. I won't have time to assemble it for another two weeks or so, so no other reviews and comments until that time.

First of all I’d like to start my civil reply with, I am a big fan of your light and desperately want to get it working properly. And, yes I’m a big fan and very optimistic even after this mornings ride where I had used an external charger the night before, the battery showed 4.6v and 40 minutes into my morning commute (in pitch black) the light died. I really do like the light. I haven't once attacked or insulted you (that would be you).

So let’s go back a month ago when I emailed your HowMayWeHelp email address (April 10). On April 13th I posted to the group to see if anyone had seen a similar problem as mine, plus some other questions. You responded, not to my email but to the comment section of KickStarter and asked me to run the troubleshooting sheet. You emailed me back asking about the sticker being applied, which I responded to the same day letting you know the sticker had been applied so that couldn’t have been the source of the problem. I provided updates on the 19th and 26th with some more info in an effort to help troubleshoot and didn’t hear back from you. I posted in the comment section which spurred you to start the troubleshooting over again, you never responded to my initial email thread which provided more information. That was a time period going from the 16-28 (almost 2 weeks later, not 2 days).

As for the rant about no sleep, cheap hotels, etc. that’s called starting a business. I don’t need a friend and didn’t request you answer my email early in the morning, I just want a functional light. I’d be happy if I didn’t have to email you at all. I, along with 248 backers got excited about your light concept and believed in you enough to give you our money to help you achieve your dream of building a great bicycling light. I, and the other backers, didn’t give you money to hire lawyers, file patents, and start a company, that was your idea…and yes starting a business is HARD.

You sound pretty confident I put the battery in backwards and fried the charging chip. While that could have happened, as the only guide that came with the light is the quick start guide which contains nothing about battery orientation, I assure you I didn’t put it in backwards. Also, the battery fully charges to 4.6v by either plugging in the charger to the light, or using an external charger. On a side note: The battery that left my blind this morning shows it’s still mostly charged when charging via external charger.

I have never expected “priority” response, and have been extremely patient (issue reported a month ago and still not close to being resolved). I really just want the light to work properly.

As for the warranty, it’s totally your call. You can choose to disregard the Warranty Contract you created. I can tell you I wouldn’t pay another $95 to be back in the same spot. As for the “you’re on your own” I’ve felt that way for a month now, that’s not new. Remember you created a light in a marketplace of many many other lights. I need a light to allow me the flexibility to ride early mornings and nights (I don’t really care what brand of light). I backed you because I liked the idea of a bright light and someone building something they were passionate about.

Now for my last piece of feedback. Hire a Marketing person! You started a project on Kickstarter, that’s a start but technology doesn’t often sell itself. You had a very excited early adopter audience who could be your advocate, tell others about their great experience with the light, be your marketing vehicle in a very tight niche group (cycling). I ride with the same people you ride with. I’d highly suggest you stop being so combative and abrasive and work on rebuilding your image with this group, assuming you want your product to be successful without laying out a ton of marketing cash. I really want to be an advocate.

I didn't go DARK. I WORK on everything there is to work for, answer inquiries pretty much in order received, and have more work to pick and choose from than there is time in a day, even sometimes without sleep. Sometimes I may take part of a weekend day to actually not be making lights or working on the computer. I haven't even had a fun recreational bike ride since New Year's. Last week I took a few days to drive to the Strategies in Light/ The LED Show trade shows in Las Vegas. No gambling or entertainment, low budget hotel room, work all night in between the show days prepping for the companies and meetings I have the next day. I even still made time very late at night to write to you (from my private address that you should have seen to reply to privately) and try to work your problem while I was away. A few days lag, not a week, is perfectly damn fast to reply to someone who is playing dumb after putting the battery in backwards and tried turn the light on or charge it despite instructions and labels and stickers and instruction cards, and I stay polite and professional about it, but then do I still bend over backwards if I get attacked again?

Seriously, why do I have no problems with lights that I seal or hardwire the batteries into? Before the stickers and labels and firmware updates and instruction cards, a few boards did go bad or pop charging chips if people put batteries in backwards.
I replaced those customers' lights or main boards, no questions asked.

Yes, my design can be improved to be more resilient against reverse current. But at this point, it already needs two errors combined, a reversed battery plus, either triple clicking the switch or plugging in the charger, to risk harming the charging chip. Not to overlook the 1/2 watt diode inline with the charging jack that needs to fry itself with the charging jack connected before even a backwards battery will pop the charging chip.

Mr Hazelwood, now I'll get to you in order like I get to everyone else. No more undeserved niceness or increased priority. From you troubleshooting sheet, you put the battery in backwards and tried to charge your light.
Some other people have done that too, but they kept their professionalism and manners about it and dealt with me privately, and receive discounted or free repair or replacement depending on how or what failed. I show appreciation for my supporters like few businesses of any size are willing to incur the cost of.
However this last dig of your's lost you any customer goodwill repair I might have considered for you.
Now, like any other paying customer, you can pay the $95 no fault repair or replacement charge by check or money order in the box, shipped in a standard flat rate USPS Priority Mail large envelope.
Write privately to arrange.
If you don't like it, then buy an external charger meeting the requirements listed in the battery charging documentation, such as
http://www.all-battery.com/tenergy_t4suniversalchargerforLi-ion_LiFePO4_NiMH_NiCDrechargeable-01432.aspxand you are on your own.
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Confidentiality notice and warning:
"This communication is company private and confidential, intended for the private use of recipient only. Permission for redistribution or public disclosure of it's contents is expressly denied. Violation of this shall result in cancellation of recipient's order without refund."
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Confidentiality notice and warning:
"This communication is company private and confidential, intended for the private use of recipient only. Permission for redistribution or public disclosure of it's contents is expressly denied. Violation of this shall result in cancellation of recipient's order without refund."

Barry, I'm not sure if it's just my light, or a problem with all lights, but I can't get the light to work for longer than a few minutes at level 3 and level 4 and 5 just don't work (immediately goes red and does the death flash thing). I've tried both batteries and same results, so doesn't appear to be the battery.

I'll likely use my Niterider light until resolved, as I'm constantly afraid your light is going to completely die on me each time I go out. I love the light when it works.

Jam, you will want it on top of your bars for the proper light spread. If memory serves it has a D shape rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise (still not had time to mount mine, I use it every chance I get as a flashlight).

Sounds positive. Hopefully i'll get my light soon as well. Until then does anyone have a photo of their handlebars with the light attached to get a sense of size perspective. Also whether they mounted it on top or upside down.

A new Version 2 battery cover will be ready in ~6 weeks, that will have a soft rubber in-molded front lip to form a water-tight seal. The shrink rate of the plastic after it is taken out of the mold on version 1 was more than calculated, leading to that slight gap that some of you have encountered.

The Velcro does release quickly. I won't warranty the light if some other mount is used.

Sometimes its not obvious, so I suggest that you turn the light sideways on the mount, for quicker access to the velcro slot in the front end of the mount.

A note about my response times:

Some days I don't get to look at email til after midnight, and cluster up customer service messages in multiple hour binges to get to answer everyone. Still, and I apologize, that sometimes I don't get to everyone.
I think that giving my customers a 2-3 day turnaround time from a basically one person operation is doing really well. I can't wait for when the sales increase sufficiently that I can have an assistant take care of basic business operations so that I have the time to consistently answer the HowMayWeHelpYou inquiries within the same day.

Confidentiality notice and warning:
"This communication is company private and confidential, intended for the private use of recipient only. Permission for redistribution or public disclosure of it's contents is expressly denied. Violation of this shall result in cancellation of recipient's order without refund."

If anyone has a good solution for a quick release mount, I'd love to hear it. Also, as mentioned by Roger (Thank you so much for sharing!) their is a gap that could let water in if you don't seal it. I'm glad I knew that before I took it out in the rain, and have currently used electrical tape to temporarily solve (again if anyone has a non hack way of fixing I'll take it). Lastly I noticed I charged my battery throughout a day (light was green when unplugged), didn't use for a week and then on my next morning ride the light was dead already. Thankfully my Nightrider light held a charge after being unused since I got the new light (2-3 weeks). I know just leave the light plugged in permanently until next use. Anyone else seeing non-use battery drain?

I emailed howcanwehelp a few days ago and no response, so throwing out to the community.

Light arrived yesterday. Construction seems solid. Weighs less as a package than an older light that pushed 900 lumen that was 100 grams more weight. Light pattern is interesting, and compared to a focused pattern from the current one think I will like Barry's far better.
Will direct a question to Barry's help link after I tried it out and am unsure how to fully operate.

Thanks Barry. I wasn't calling the larger unit a bad thing, just saying it was bigger than many of the other units (likely brighter too). I did use one rubber strip, but next time I'll tighten the bejebers out of the Velcro. Unfortunately I had to adjust the light no fewer than 50 times in the hour I needed it, and was grateful when 7 hit and I didn't need it to see (just be seen). I have no doubt it's brighter than all other lights out with a much better spread.

I'm also worried about the durability of the Velcro as I remove the light often to charge or when not needed.

The size and weight is small compared to the size of anything with similar power, which also would need separate batteries and cables. Its larger than single LED pothole spotter types.
That's to be expected because those have much smaller batteries and no optics.
Other 3+ high powered LED lights are at least as large and heavier.
To mount, the buckle should be to the rear, velcro closes in front of the bars.
Use the rubber strips for better grip between the mount and handlebar. That's the same as any other light.
You can pull the Velcro as tight as you're able. It has a 500 pound tensile strength, making it virtually unbreakable in human hands.

I received my light yesterday. First observation, it seems big but not a big deal. I charged it last night and mounted it this morning to use on my 2 hour commute into work. I couldn't get it to stay level, even after really tightening the velcro. I found the light pointing at my front tire rather than the road ahead. I'm assuming others have solved this....How? I can't comment on the light brightness much yet, as I couldn't keep it pointed ahead of me.